The recent utterance of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha that non Imolites, albeit Igbos from other South East States will be appointed as Commissioners, Special Advisers, Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants in his yet to be constituted new cabinet will continue to generate so much fuss. The reason for this is not far fetched.
Already, there is growing apprehension among Imolites over our dear governor’s latest posture. I and every curious Imolite tend to align ourselves to the fact that such measure will generate so much heat in the State. It will further sadden our people who have seen too much “rescue” but no “mission” to keep body and soul together. I believe there is every reason for such apprehension.
Okorocha has strived to make Imo better. Majority of Imolites accept this fact, though a sizeable minority think otherwise. The roads and public infrastructure renewal is acceptable to them, but tongues still wag across the State that cash crunch persists and they pray fervently that the earlier it abates, the better for the rescue mission administration in the State.
However, no matter how exciting his latest vision to appoint other easterners in his new cabinet appears to be, it is against the grain of commonsense for the Imo patrimony to be shared or given out as freebies to non Imolites. No. Igbo unity cannot be fostered by sacrificing the little job opportunities in Imo, a State begging to be economically viable and struggling to be noticed on the national political grid. A state the people are yet to exhaust their vast ideas that will uplift the eastern heartland.
Okorocha’s idea might be novel in context, but I do not believe this is the time for rare job opportunities in the State to be frittered away in the name of building and promoting Igbo unity. The task of reinventing Igbo unity cannot be compromised or sacrificed at the expense of Imo sons and daughters who posses the right qualification to drive the State to the zenith of economic prosperity.
We are in dire need of total transformation, a revival that will secure and guarantee the future of the next generation. From Nkwerre to Owerri, down to Ikeduru, there are competent Imolites who have all it takes to take the State to whatever level Okorocha desires.
Outside the boundaries of Imo, there are also multitude of Imolites who have the burning passion to serve their State but are unable to do so because of the inability of past and present governments to provide the platform for them to contribute their vast reservoir of knowledge that will be of immense benefit to our dear State.
Imo State do not lack human resources to manage its vast potentials and God given endowments. We have them in abundance, in surplus. And I do not think they are ready to abdicate such responsibility to those who cannot profess to love Imo more than Imolites.
Imolites are found in various sectors of the world economy. In the health, education, communication, oil and gas sectors, they abound. They have eloquent testimonies to tell of their accomplishments in various fields of human endeavour.
I have a cousin, Micheal Okwu, an Imolite, who has made a mark in the vast United States media industry having held commanding and viable positions in America’s Cable News Network (CNN) and the NBC. Such high profile persons of Imo origin abound the nooks and crannies of the globe ready to be explored to develop our dear State.
Imo State has not degenerated to the point where non indigenes will preside over their affairs. We have not degenerated to the status of Gambia, a tiny nation whose low human population provided ample opportunity for some Nigerians to secure juicy appointments and positions. A Nigerian later rose to become the Chief Justice of Gambia!
The Gambia, is a nation with less than 500,000 people. Imo State has over 5 million people and over 80% literacy rate, but hit by the bug of unemployment and crushing hunger which has impoverised majority of the vibrant citizenry especially the youths and women.
It is important to remind the Rescue mission administration that job opportunities lubricate the wheels of governance. But sadly this is not the case in Imo. Efforts to create jobs both in the past and present have all ended up in smoke. Or simply put, was a smoke screen conceived by past administration as a bait to win votes during elections.
If Okorocha intends to break that jinx by harnessing the latent potentials of the people, he has to demonstrate it not by words but by action. Handing over serious executive positions to non Imolites is not in tandem with such commitment. Infact it makes nonsense of his efforts to engage Imolites in his quest to rescue Imo State.
Such measure will send dangerous signals and possibly instill in Imolites that he is encouraging not only capital flight but job flight. Imolites are not happy with the condition of their State. And I believe they have a lot to offer to ensure that the State becomes the ideal Imo they desire and dream of. And it is only Imolites that will ensure the realisation of this noble dream.
Much as those Okorocha says he want to appoint are fellow Igbos from other States, our dear governor should be reminded that non Imolites cannot love our State more than we (Imolites) do. In otherwords , no mother can love his neighbour’s son more than his. Charity they say begins at home. The quest to build Igbo unity cannot be achieved by this singular measure. For me, Igbo unity has never existed and it has remained mere wishful thinking since the gospel of a united Igbo nation was conceptualized by past Igbo leaders.
The present crop of Igbo leaders only preach the gospel of unity and never go the extra mile to practice what they propagate. And they have never made any conscious effort to actualize that. What we see is mere eye service and cosmetic approach.
If Okorocha harbours such desire to reverse this sad trend, who among other Igbo leaders is willing to reciprocate what he intends to achieve for the Igbo nation? It takes two or more to tango. So who in Igboland is tangoing his new found mission? Is it Governor T.A Orji of Abia State who sacked non indigenes mainly Imolites from the Abia State workforce and has shown no remorse for his action?
A flashback to political events in Igboland justifies my submission. Have we forgotten how some Igbo leaders conspired and denied Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the presidential ticket of the PDP simply because they were offered a pot of porridge by those who aided the ascension of Olusegun Obasanjo as President of Nigeria? We saw the likes of Jim Nwobodo who traded away the Igbo language for Hausa phonetics on the floor of the PDP Jos 1999 Convention ?
Is it some Igbo leaders who aligned with anti Igbo forces to make a caricature of some of our credible sons which led to the dethronement of Evan Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo,(all of blessed memory) and Adolphus Wabara as president of the senate between 1999 and 2003? Is it not pitiable that some Igbo leaders are talking of backing President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 Presidential race when the time is ripe for an Igbo to take a shot at the presidency? Where is the Igbo unity, togetherness and cohesiveness? Where?
And where will our governor find those who share his vision to revive the flame of Igbo unity? Can he afford to be a lone voice in the wilderness or a pilot without airbus passengers and crew? Preaching Igbo unity by giving out serious and sensitive executive positions in the State to non Imolites does not in anyway underscore the restoration of Igbo unity. His initiative is not in tandem with his approach.
There are other ways such measure can be achieved, but certainly not by giving out freely executive positions which can be effectively managed by responsible and capable Imo sons who are begging to be part of a revolution to make our beloved Imo State better.
We cannot afford to eliminate our collective desire for a better Imo for others who cannot claim they can make our State much better than we desire. I advise.
